If you're looking for a recipe to get you ready for summer, then you need to try this seafood boil in a bag. Dungeness crab legs, juicy shrimp, smoked sausage, creamy gold potatoes and sweet summer corn cooked in a cajun garlic butter sauce.
This flavorful seafood boil is the perfect meal for entertaining guests!
This seafood boil in a bag has become a summer tradition in our home. It really is an experience that should be shared with family and friends.
I take a turkey-sized oven bag and fill it with fresh seafood, chunks of kielbasa, fork tender potatoes and sweet corn on the cob. Serve it with lemon wedges, hot sauce and some toasted bread to help soak up all the buttery goodness at the bottom of the bag.
Looking for some delicious side dishes to serve with this seafood boil, then try my Easy Sourdough Garlic Bread and Smoked Macaroni and Cheese.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for summer entertaining- Seafood boils are a great communal meal. This easy seafood boil is the perfect meal to bring outdoors to enjoy those warm summer evenings with family and friends.
- Easy clean up- Since everything is cooked inside one bag, clean up is minimal. So it gives you more time to enjoy your company!
- Customizable- The best part about seafood boils is customizing it to your personal preference. You can easily switch up the ingredients and add things like clams, crawfish or even lobster tails.
- Full of flavor- I make the best garlic butter sauce, which I drizzle over all of ingredients before baking.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the key ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Seafood- 2 pounds of your favorite seafood. I used jumbo shrimp and Dungeness crab legs.
- Smoked sausage- I use kielbasa sausage in this recipe and cut it into big chunks. If you're looking for a little heat, you can use andouille sausage.
- Potatoes- I went with baby dutch gold potatoes. You can also use red potatoes. I par-boil them in salted water before adding them to the seafood mixture.
- Corn- Use fresh corn for the best flavor. I cut them in 3 to 4 inch pieces.
- Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Garlic- Fresh garlic is always better than the jarred stuff.
- Old bay seasoning- This is a staple in any seafood boil. It adds great flavor to all the components in the dish.
- Lemon- Use fresh lemon juice in the sauce and serve some wedges on the side.
- Cajun seasoning- Gives this recipe a little southern flare.
- Parsley- Use flat leaf Italian parsley for garnish.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Cook potatoes and corn. In a large pot, add water, potatoes, old bay seasoning and salt. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes for 10 minutes until fork tender.
Then, carefully add corn. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the corn cook in the water for 10 minutes. Remove corn and potatoes from the water and set aside.
STEP 2: Make garlic butter. Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add garlic. Stir just until fragrant. Then remove from heat and add spices, sugar and lemon juice.
STEP 3: Prepare oven bag. Spread open a turkey-sized oven bag over a large roasting pan. Then, place potatoes, sausage and corn on the cobs.
STEP 4: Add the seafood. If using crab legs, arrange them so the claws are pointing towards the center. This will prevent them from puncturing the bag. Next, add shrimp.
STEP 5: Drizzle on the sauce. Pour the garlic butter sauce over all the ingredients. Close the bag and secure it with the provided tie.
STEP 6: Bake. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully open the bag. Serve directly from the bag or spoon onto a large platter.
Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Don't skimp on the shrimp. Small shrimp will cook too quickly and turn tough and rubbery. I use 16-20 jumbo shrimp. They are the perfect size for this seafood boil. You can use shell-on, EZ-peel or peeled shrimp.
Fresh corn on the cob tastes best in this recipe. You can use white, yellow or bi-color corn.
When par-boiling the potatoes, make sure to cook them just until they are fork tender, but not falling apart. They will continue to cook once they are in the oven.
In case the bag leaks, make sure to place the oven bag inside a large roasting dish before adding the ingredients.
FAQ
A variety of seafood such as shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, and crawfish, along with sausage, corn and potatoes. Typically seasoned with old bay, lemon, bay leaves and garlic.
There are a few ways to serve this seafood boil. You can do like I do and serve everything right from the bag. Or you can spoon everything onto a large platter and drizzle the remaining butter sauce on top or on the side in small individual ramekins.
For the shrimp, the exterior should be pink with red tails and the flesh is slightly opaque and a little “white” in color. The shrimp will also be firm to the touch. As for the crab legs, most crab legs are sold pre-cooked. So you're really looking to just heat them through.
Storing and Reheating
After this seafood boil in a bag feast, there may be leftovers. If you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Reheating
Add some liquid, water, broth or wine to your leftovers before reheating it. This will help keep everything moist. To reheat the seafood boil in the oven, preheat the oven to 350° and then place it in a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
More Easy Entertaining Recipes To Try
If you decide to try this recipe, please make sure to leave a STAR RATING on the recipe card and leave a comment below. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
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📖 Recipe
Seafood Boil in a Bag
Equipment
- 1 Reynolds turkey bags
Ingredients
Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce
- 2 sticks Butter melted
- 6 cloves Garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Old bay seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp White granulated sugar
- 1 Juice of lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dried or fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Seafood Boil
- 2 lbs Jumbo shrimp 16-20, shell-on, peeled or EZ-peel
- 1 lb Crab legs Dungeness or Snow Crab
- 1 lb Mini Dutch gold potatoes par-boiled, whole or cut in half
- 1 lb Kielbasa sausage cut into chunks
- 4 Ears of corn cut into 3-4" pieces
- Parsley for garnish
- Lemon wedges on the side
Instructions
Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce
- Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add garlic. Stir just until fragrant. Then remove from heat and add spices, sugar and lemon juice.
Seafood Boil
- In a large pot, add water, potatoes, old bay seasoning and salt. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes for 10 minutes until fork tender.
- Then, carefully add corn. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the corn cook in the water for 10 minutes. Remove corn and potatoes from the water and set aside.
- Spread open a turkey-sized oven bag over a large roasting pan. Then, place potatoes, sausage and corn on the cobs.
- If using crab legs, arrange them so the claws are pointing towards the center. This will prevent them from puncturing the bag. Next, add shrimp.
- Pour the garlic butter sauce over all the ingredients. Close the bag and secure it with the provided tie.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully open the bag. Serve directly from the bag or spoon onto a large platter.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
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